Key Takeaways
• Suppliers strengthen distributor loyalty by delivering reliable service, fast communication and strategic support.
• Value-added services and expertise can compel distributors to turn to suppliers first.
In every package Counselor Top 40 supplier Tekweld (asi/90807) ships to end-buyers, there’s a label with instructions on how to reorder. Instead of providing the supplier’s information, it lists the distributor who coordinated the order.
“Distributors love that,” remarks Gregg Szpicek, senior vice president of sales for the Hauppauge, NY-based supplier. The practice was started by company founder (and Counselor Power 50 member) Taylor Tadmor in Tekweld’s early days, along with another feature that won over customers: printing a “Distributed by” line on FDA-approved products that included the distributor’s email address or website.
“That’s where we started to build our customer loyalty,” says Szpicek, “because distributors said, ‘This company is working with me. They’re not just waiting for the next order.’”
Distributors have a wealth of options when choosing who to do business with. There are about 3,000 ASI-listed suppliers all vying for a distributor’s time, attention and client dollars. Competition comes from other sources, too – vendors outside the industry and even retail companies selling through other channels.
Read this full article here, and catch up on all of the stories from the Counselor 2026 State of the Industry.
